test results for salmonella were found in both farms including in the feed mill and the water used to wash the eggs. even more alarming, during the course of its investigation, the committee has obtained records that show that write county egg tested positive for salmonella contamination in its iowa facilities prior to the widespread outbreak of the illness. environmental sample reports taken in and around the chicken cages between 2008 and 2010 indicate that write county egg received 426 positive results for salmonella including 73 that were potentially positive for salmonella en tir eye tus, the same strain that sickened 1,600 people. perhaps these findings should not be a surprise given the record of the decoster farm operation that owns the wright county egg facilities. in act, decoster farm had so many environmental and safety violations that the state of iowa declared them habitual violators and assessed a total of $219,000 in civil fines. decoster farm is the only entity to receive the habitual violater status from the state of iowa. the work of this subcommittee coupled wit